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Phoenix officials and charities mobilize as SNAP benefits face temporary cutoff for hundreds of thousands in Arizona
Summary
Mayor Kate Gallego warned that roughly 900,000 Arizonans could temporarily lose SNAP benefits and urged federal action while the city and food charities launched local relief efforts, a resource page on phoenix.gov and a citywide food drive to address an expected surge in demand.
Mayor Kate Gallego convened city officials and nonprofit partners at Saint Mary’s Food Bank on the morning of the announcement to warn that, "in less than 24 hours, 900,000 Arizonans are going to temporarily lose their SNAP benefits," and to outline local relief efforts if federal action does not arrive.
Gallego said about 400,000 of those affected live in Phoenix, called the situation "an emergency" if benefits are not distributed, and urged the federal government to release funds now while asking residents to donate and volunteer. "For those who need help in coming days and weeks, we're here for you," she said and directed listeners to phoenix.gov for a city resource page and information about a citywide food drive planned for the coming week.
Milt Lou, president and CEO of St. Mary's Food Bank, said local charities are preparing to scale up but cannot replace federal benefits. "For every $1, for every…
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